The critical response to Essex Lion has been overwhelmingly good. Here’s a round-up of all the reviews. Some publications don’t do stars.
“After a string of knockout Fringe shows, Wright does not need to prove his credentials, but he does anyway…His lexical acrobatics are astounding, often motor-mouthed and breathtakingly honest…Go for the wordsmithery, stay for the painful poignancy.” **** The List
“This is a great show and his poetry itself remains as vital and redolent of our times as ever.” **** Exeunt
“We get poems on subjects most image-conscious performers wouldn’t touch with the toe of a vintage Converse trainer, all of them delivered with Wright’s trademark mixture of wit, self-deprecation.” **** The Scotsman
“With room for comedy, nostalgia and lament, the show is impressively varied and well-structured – the overarching message is one of finding meaning and excitement in the most mundane of things.” **** Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
“Wright perfectly captures the glamourless pulse of mainstream Britain and transforms it into rhythmic, transcendental beauty…Quite simply, this is the future of popular poetry.” **** The Skinny (on Book Festival performance)
“Conveying the lifting of his heart is one of Wright’s gifts … Cutting but lovely.” **** Fest
“It was certainly a full hour of excellent entertainment and one that should not be missed by anyone.” ***** One 4 Review
“This is stand-up, and yet it’s so much more; Luke is entertaining and evokes plenty of laughs both in between and during his poetry, but his real strength – perhaps unsurprisingly – is in storytelling. Starting and ending on a high, there’s a narrative arc that takes the audience down into a thoughtful near-melancholy and all the way back up again” **** TV Bomb
“Expect a rib-tickling hour in the company of a brilliant performance poet.” **** ThreeWeeks
“Luke kept us mighty entertained with funny stories and poems.” **** Zukira
“Poetry’s answer to Russell Brand, eloquent and funny Essex boy Luke Wright shines in his show Essex Lion, everyday tales in vivacious rhyming verse sizzling with spot-on social observation.” Whatsonstage (from Latitude preview)
“His poetry is uncomplicated, easy to follow, and enjoyable.” Litro
“He speaks for Essex and England, with poems that are contemporary, clever, fair, and honest.” Write Out Loud